Wire twisting device



p 30, 1958 G. C. SOBOCINSKI 2,854,036

WIRE TWISTING DEVICE Filed Jan. 5, 1956 IN VEN TOR.

susmv's BY z C. SOBOCINSKI ATTY.

United States Patent 2,854,036 WIRE TWISTING DEVICE Gustave C. Sobocinski, Chicago, Ill., assignor to General Telephone Laboratories, Incorporated, a corporation of Delaware Application January 5, 1956, Serial No. 557,463

1 Claim. (Cl. 140-149) This invention relates to a wire twisting device and more particularly to a device for twisting two or more wire conductors.

In the winding of relay coils and the like, the wire of the coil winding is sometimes so fine that it is difiicult to solder the ends to the terminal portion of the coil. To enable the ends of the wire to have suificient strength for soldering purposes, a second wire, preferably of larger diameter, is twisted with the end of the coil wire and twisted thereon to sufficient length to enable the twisted ends to be soldered to the terminal lugs. When these two wires are twisted by simple mechanical means or by hand, the wires are sometimes not securely twisted, and it is difficult to provide a twisted wire of suificient length for a good electrical connection.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a simple and effective device to quickly twist two or more wires together.

In one embodiment of the present invention a twisting member is provided comprising a rotatably movable shaft, having an inverted double hook at one end, and a rubber cone near the other end forming part of a cone clutch. This twisting shaft is suitably mounted so that it ma move longitudinall and the end opposite the double hooked end engages and disengages a micro-switch for controlling the motor as the twisting shaft is moved back and forth longitudinally by the pull of two wires looped over the hook end. A motor shaft is geared to one end of an auxiliary shaft and the opposite end of the auxiliary shaft has a cone shaped drive wheel, preferably of steel, so positioned as to engage or disengage the rubber cone of the movable shaft. Two or more wires looped over the hook and pulled axially cause the shaft to move longitudinally thereby causing the rubber cone and the steel cone of the auxiliary shaft to engage and the micro-switch to close its contacts. The micro-switch closes a circuit to the motor and the motor will operate as long as the micro-switch contacts are closed. The wires looped over the hook on the end of the shaft are twisted as long as tension is applied to the wires and the circuit to the motor is closed.

A more complete understanding of the invention may be had by reference to the following detail description considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein Fig. l is a top elevation view of the wire twisting device showing the motor, drive shaft, micro-switch and hook arrangement.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan view showing the hooked end of the wire twisting device and the twisted wires associated therewith.

Fig. 3 schematically illustrates the cooperation of the twisting shaft, micro-switch and motor.

Referring to the drawing, wherein a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated, the wire twisting device comprises a Wire twisting member having at its free end a double hook 11 so that two or more strands of wire 12 (as shown in Fig. 2) may be looped about the hook. The twisting member 10 is suitably mounted near one end in housing 13. Bearings 14 and 15 are mounted in the housing 13, andsupport the twisting member 10 so that it may rotate freely and also be movable longitudinally. A stop 16 limits the longitudinal movement of the twisting member 10 to the left. A micro-switch 17 mounted on base 20 has its switch lever arm 18 so positioned as to come in contact with the stop 16. Within the housing 13 there is a rubber cone 19 secured to the twisting member 10 by a setscrew 21. A spring 22 exerts pressure between the inner wall of 13 and the face of the cone 19 thereby ensuring that the stop 16 is held against switch lever arm 18. The microswitch 17 is then held in a normally open position and controls the starting and stopping of the motor 23 that is also mounted on base plate 20.

The motor 23 is geared to a shaft 24 which projects through the housing 13 and collets 25 and 26 are secured by setscrews to the shaft 24 to prevent thrust movement of the shaft. Within the housing 13 and mounted on the shaft 24 is a steel cone securely mounted to the shaft by a setscrew 28 forming the other half of a cone clutch with cone 19.

When two or more wires such as 12 are looped over hook 11 and pulled in the direction of arrow 30 the shaft 10 is moved longitudinally to the left thereby causing spring 22 to be compressed, cone 19 to come into engagement with cone 27, and stop 16 to be moved away from switch arm 18, thereby closing the contacts 17' of the micro-switch 17 and completing the circuit to the motor 23. As the motor 23 rotates and turns shaft 24, cones 19 and 27, being engaged, cause twisting member 10 to rotate, thereby twisting the wires 12. This twisting will take place as long as the operator pulls on the wires 12 thereby keeping twisting member 10 away from switch arm 18. When the pull on the wires 12 is released, the spring 21 causes the cones 19 and 27 to disengage and stop 16 operates micro-switch 17 opening contacts 17', thereby opening the circuit to the motor. The cone 19 is of rubber so that a friction drive is produced between the two cones 19 and 27. This friction drive also permits the operator to control the speed of the twisting member and therefore permits a more uniform twisting of the wires 12.

It will thus be seen that I have provided a novel wire twisting device in which the wires to be twisted are looped over the end of a twisting device and that the pressure exerted on said wires, when pulled against the tension of a spring which normally holds the device in one position, causes the twisting device to be rotated only as long as such pressure is applied.

What is claimed is:

In a twisting device a base, a motor and a housing mounted thereon, a first shaft driven by said motor and extending into said housing, a normally closed switch mounted on said base and electrically connected to said motor, means for preventing longitudinal movement of said first shaft, a second shaft rotatably mounted in bearings in said housing, a clutch means in said housing operatively connected to said shafts, said clutch means including two elements one fixed to each shaft, a spiral spring positioned around said second shaft and engaging said housing and one of said clutch elements acting to normally disengage said clutch elements, said second shaft having a pair of collets mounted thereon on the outside of the housing which permits a predetermined longitudinal movement of said second shaft, one of said collets normally holding said switch means open, means on said second shaft for attaching a plurality of wires to be twisted thereto, whereby when tension is applied to said wires the second shaft will move Patented Sept. 30, 1958' 3 4 longitudinally against said sgring to allow said switch 1,449,048 Kelley Mar. 20, 1923 to close and to engage said clutch elements to effect rota- 1,681,245 May et al A I'. 21, 1928 tion of said shafts and thereby twist said Wires. 2,360,059 Hohwart Oct. 10, 1944 2,501,386 Gibbs Mar. 21, 1950 References Cited in the file of, this patent v 5 UNITED STATES; PAIENTS 7 1,186,781 Henry June-1 3, 1916 

